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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762218">Ever a Surprise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob'>pinkevilbob</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:40:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jester wanted a rose. That was all. Not for her mama to get lost or to find shelter in a creepy mansion. Or for a monster to find her and demand a prisoner. She had definitely not asked for any of those things. But that was exactly what Jester got.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ever a Surprise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so we were talking in the widojest discord again about Beauty and the Beast, and then Quynh Anh, Laylia and I started talking about a fun twist for it and I had to write it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jester wanted a rose. That was all. Not for her mama to get lost or to find shelter in a creepy mansion. Or for a monster to find her and demand a prisoner. She had definitely not asked for any of those things. But that was exactly what Jester got.</p>
<p>So there Jester was standing before the great and dilapidated castle. It was probably a fine and fancy place once, the kind that existed in Jester's books, but now it just looked sad and forgotten. She felt a little bad for it. Castles were only stones and walls, but Jester felt that everything deserved to be remembered and loved.</p>
<p>Gathering her nerve, Jester went up the steps trying to keep her imagination in check, but she struggled with it. Her mother told Jester all about the monster that had been so cruel and threatened her. Really, Jester's mother shouldn't have gone out by herself, but she had been insistent that this was something she had to do  on her own when she'd received a letter from Jester's father. Marion had to go by herself, so Jester waited at home. But now it was time for Jester to go out by herself.</p>
<p>The monster must've been terrible for it to scare Jester's mom with skin an unbelievable hue and teeth meant for crushing. All the tieflings of Jester's village avoided the forest, and as for everyone else(everyone else being Blude the minotaur and Orly the tortle who would sometimes visit the Lavish Chateau), they knew better than to go there too. But the monster demanded a prisoner in return for Marion's freedom and Jester was the one who asked for the rose, so it only made sense for her to go.</p>
<p>Jester picked up the knocker and dropped it letting it echo out a bone shaking bang. She jumped back and then giggled nervously at herself. Of course, it was loud. It was a giant brass knocker. They were not made to be quiet. Just like Jester hadn't been made to be quiet either. "Hey big scary monster guy!!!! I'm here to be your prisoner!!! Come out!!!"</p>
<p>The door creaked open and it was spooky and ominous. "Just like in one of my books," she whispered to herself and like that, like Jester had whispered the magic words, it wasn't scary anymore. It was like The Vulnerable Viscount where the beautiful heroine was taken from her home by the mysterious but handsome viscount who hid a warm heart and was under a terrible spell. Or Whispers of the Fire where the winsome heroine was kidnapped by the handsome dragon(he had a tiefling form so it wasn't too weird) who it turned out needed her love to win back the home that was rightfully his. Jester stuck out her chest as she went in. She was going to be like one of her heroines and brave whatever terrible beasts there were to find here.</p>
<p>BANG!!! the door crashed closed behind her and all her confidence evaporated. It was dark in the castle with only a few guttering candles in it. Jester never needed to rely on light to see, but it didn't make things less eerie.</p>
<p>Steps echoed down the halls and Jester froze. They slowly grew louder and so did Jester's nervousness. The owner of the castle was a monster, Jester already knew this, so to be scared of something she already knew was silly. Or at least that's what Jester told herself.</p>
<p>The steps then stopped. "You actually came." The voice was mild with a fairly thick accent. It also sounded surprised.</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Jester asked. Treat it like a person, Jester told herself. That would make it less scary too.</p>
<p>The footsteps continued. "I didn't think that anyone would come. I thought that she would simply run away."</p>
<p>Jester huffed. "My mom never goes back on a promise. You demanded a prisoner, so here I am." She had to sneak out to go here. Her mother was planning on going back herself, but Jester would never allow that.</p>
<p>"It would've been easier for me if you weren’t," the voice said. "I really hadn't expected any guests today. Or prisoners for that manner."</p>
<p>"Well, I'm here," Jester said.</p>
<p>The voice sighed. "You certainly are." And with that the voice's owner finally stepped forward and Jester could see him. He was pale, but not in a pure white way, more of a peachy worm way. His hair was auburn and pulled back in a ponytail revealing two round ears. Jester didn't even know that was possible. There were no claws at the ends of his fingers and he didn't even have hooves.</p>
<p>Jester craned her neck and frowned. "Where's your tail?"</p>
<p>"Tail?" the monster asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah, your tail. Everybody has a tail," Jester said. It was only natural to have one.</p>
<p>The monster frowned. "I don’t have one."</p>
<p>"What?! Really?" Jester asked, barely believing her ears.</p>
<p>"Ja, really." There was a tiredness to his voice. "And I don't have horns either."</p>
<p>Jester stared at him and he was right. Nothing grew out of his head except for hair. "That's really weird, you know."</p>
<p>"Well, I am not called a monster for no reason. Are you done with staring yet?" he asked. His voice was flat for the most part.</p>
<p>She got on the tips of her hooves. "Just a little longer. There! Done!"</p>
<p>The monster sighed, shaking his head. "Danke."</p>
<p>"So are you a particular kind of monster or just like a monster?" Jester asked.</p>
<p>"According to my studies, I am what was known as a human," the monster said.</p>
<p>Jester frowned. "Your studies? You had to study what you are? Shouldn't your parents just have told you?"</p>
<p>"Not everyone has the privilege of having them."</p>
<p>"Oh right," Jester said softly. "Sorry."</p>
<p>The monster  took a deep breath. "It is not your fault. Will you be going soon?"</p>
<p>"Going? I thought I had to stay here," Jester said. "You told Mom that you would let her free, but only if the one who asked for the rose became your prisoner."</p>
<p>"A hollow threat. I have a reputation to upkeep. If people think I take people prisoner for the mere act of entering my castle, then I will be less likely to have intruders here." The monster sighed. "Thank you for coming, but now it is time for you to go."</p>
<p>It was tempting, but Jester cocked her head to the side. "So, your reputation of being a scary monster is important to you?"</p>
<p>The monster nodded. "It keeps the castle safe and I value my privacy."</p>
<p>"You know that if I just went back after you demanded me as your prisoner, then no one would take your reputation seriously," Jester pointed out.</p>
<p>He swore, or at least Jester thought he did. She didn't recognize the language.  The monster put his head in his hands. "I did not think this through."</p>
<p>"Nope!" Jester said cheerfully as she looked around the castle. It was dirty and spooky, but the main thing Jester noticed was how lonely it felt. All of which were fixable. "So do you have guest rooms for prisoners or do I get to choose my room?"</p>
<p>"Your room?"</p>
<p>Jester turned around. “Yeah, do you think a month is long enough to pay off a rose?”</p>
<p>The monster looked at her confused. “A month?”</p>
<p>“As your pretend prisoner. I’ll tell everyone about how scary and terrible you are so that no one will ever bother you again. Ooh,” Jester clapped her hands, “and I redecorate this place while I’m here.”</p>
<p>“Redecorate? But I hardly know you. And you know nothing about me. I am a monster,” he said.</p>
<p>She grinned. “And I’m Jester.”</p>
<p>“Jester,” he said, slowly sounding it out. “You don’t really want to stay here do you?”</p>
<p>“Well, no, but I can’t just go back.” He seemed nice for a monster, but most people would only focus on the monster part of him. And she’d heard of what happened to monsters if hunters found them. Jester couldn’t just get rid of the only thing that kept him safe. “It’ll be like a sleepover.”</p>
<p>The monster shook his head, but there was a small smile on his face. “I’m not going to get rid of you so easily, am I?”</p>
<p>“Nope!” Jester grinned widely at him.</p>
<p>He sighed again. “I suppose I must give you my name then. Caleb Widogast.”</p>
<p>“Caleb. See now we’re friends,” Jester said. “We are going to have a great time here.”</p>
<p>“Is that so?” Caleb said with a smirk.</p>
<p>Jester nodded. “Yep!”</p>
<p>Caleb’s smirk fading. “I’m afraid that being friends with a monster will not be as fun or easy as you think it will be.”</p>
<p>“Well, I like a good challenge,” Jester said.</p>
<p>“I think you will find this one disappointing.”</p>
<p>Jester pouted for a moment and then grinned. Caleb didn’t know it yet, but they were going to be the best of friends.</p>
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